Asterisk Alt Code and Symbol

The Alt code for Asterisk is 42. Hold Alt, type 42 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Asterisk also has the Unicode codepoint U+002A, so you can type it with Alt+42 on Windows, search for U+002A in macOS's Character Viewer, use * in HTML, or \002A in CSS. If your keyboard has no numeric keypad, use the Character Viewer, the HTML entity, or copy the character directly — the Alt key method requires a physical numpad. Copy the Asterisk character from this page when you need it in a form, chat message or document that does not accept Alt codes. Asterisk has no named HTML entity, so use the numeric escape * or the hex escape *.

Codes for this symbol

Copy any value by clicking it.
Method	Value
Legacy Alt code
Alt + decimal
Alt + X hex
HTML decimal
HTML hex
CSS escape
Python escape
JavaScript escape
UTF-8 bytes
Unicode codepoint
Unicode block
Unicode category

Not available for this symbol: macOS Option shortcut, named HTML entity.

How to type asterisk on Windows

Turn Num Lock on so the numeric keypad is active.
Hold the left Alt key.
Type 4 2 on the numeric keypad.
Release Alt. The Asterisk character (*) appears.

If your keyboard has no numeric keypad, see how to type symbols without a numpad.

How to type asterisk on macOS

There is no direct Option shortcut for Asterisk. Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space, search for "Asterisk" and click the character to insert it.

How to use asterisk in code

HTML: or
CSS: content:"\002A"; ()
Python: \u002A or chr(0x2A)
JavaScript: \u002A or String.fromCodePoint(0x2A)
JSON: "\u002A"

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for Asterisk?

The legacy Alt code for Asterisk is 42. Hold Alt, type 4 2 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.

How do I type * without a numpad?

Use the Windows Character Viewer (Win+.), the macOS Character Viewer (⌃⌘Space), an HTML entity such as *, or copy the character directly from this page.

Why does Alt+42 not work?

Alt+42 only works on a keyboard with a physical numeric keypad. It also requires the application to accept the numeric-keypad input path. Laptops without a numpad need an alternative method.

What is the Unicode for Asterisk?

The Unicode codepoint for Asterisk is U+002A. You can use this value in HTML as *, in CSS as \002A, and in Word with Alt+X.

How do I type * on a Mac?

Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space and search for the character name or U+002A, then click it.

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